Tag stacking means



y 3, 1966 c. A. PARKER 3,249,355

TAG STAGKING MEANS Filed Oct. 10, 1965 3 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTOR. CHARLES A. PARKER AGENT May 3, 1966 c. A. PARKER TAG STACKING MEANS 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Oct. 10, 1963 INVENTOR. A. PARKER May 3, 1966 c. A. PARKER 3,249,355

TAG STACKING MEANS Filed 001',- 10, 1963 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 F'IG.5

if i I :n: mum J 22 O! mm. INVENTOR. 23 o n ull AGENT CHARLE A. PARKER United States. Patent 3,249,355 TAG STACKING MEANS Charles A. Parker, East Orange, N.J., assignor to Kimball Systems, Inc., a corporation of Delaware Filed Oct. 10, 1963, Ser. No. 315,322 11 Claims. (Cl. 271-68) The present invention relates to record tag feeding devices, such as that disclosed in my copending application Serial No. 305,313 filed August 29, 1963, and a copending application Serial No. 83,341 filed January 17, 1961, by Richard M. Elliott et a1.

More particularly the present invention has relation to improvement in means whereby record tags upon being transported past suitable sensing devices are thereafter ejected from the tag transport devices and into a tag stacking means, to be subsequently storededgewise in an upright manner within a storage magazine.

To be commercially practical tags must be advanced an emitted seriatim from the transport devices and stacked at extremely high speeds. Where the tags are successively ejected to be stacked on edge in a vertical manner the usual feed wheels operating at high speeds tend to cause jamming of the tags. This is due primarily to the fact that because of its curvature the wheel releases its control of a tag prematurely to completing a full stroke of the tag ejectionoperation. Also, when operating at high speeds the free trailing edge of a tag under such circumstances has a tendency to continue to follow the feed wheel and a fluttering action of the tag is apt to occur. Thus occasionally a succeeding tag will either strike upon the upper edge of the preceding tag, or is forced to the wrong sideof the tag, so that the tags do not stack properly and jamming may occur.

An object of the present invention is to obviate such objection'by. providing means which retain control of a tag during substantially the entire ejecting operation thereof.

Another. object 'is the provision of means which provide substantially a full tag ejection under power.

The above and other features of the invention will now be described by reference to the accompanying drawings and pointed out in the claims.

In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a left side elevational section, taken substantially on a line mid-point along the tag separating and transport devices of a machine embodying the invention.

FIG. 2 is a front elevation of a portion of said machine and showing the tag ejecting means comprising the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a detail elevation of a drive train for the tag ejecting means.

FIG. 4 is a section on line 44 of FIG. 2.

FIG. 5 is a section on line 55 of FIG. 4.

As in the manner more fully set forth in the above copending applications, in genera-l, the record tags T (FIG. 1) are separated successively from a stack pile and are fed to known transport devices, by means of a picker knife 1 neciprocated heightwise in the operations of a rock shaft 2, operated by an eccentric 3 rotatable with a power shaft 4 driven by an electric motor. Said transport devices include a pair of feed whee-ls 5 each provided with six feed pins 6 equally spaced around its periphery. The feed wheels 5 are secured to a shaft 7 in such relation that the pins 6 in the two wheels are aligned in cooperating pairs. The shaft 7 is journaled for rotation in suitable bearings in the machine framing. Shaft 7and the rock shaft 2 operated by eccentric 3 are desi-gnd to operate in unison, in such manner that the feed wheels 5 are rotated the distance between the feed pins 6 during one complete reciprocation of the picker knife 1. Thus the tag is moved upwardly in synchronized movement with the pins 6, so that suitable locating holes in the tag will engage said pins while operating at substantially the same speed therewith.

After the pins enter the locating holes the tag is fed thereby along a path defined on one side by the peripheries of the wheels 5 and on the other by an arcuate plate 8, so that coded perforations in the tag are sensed at a read station 9 in the well-known manner.

As in the manner of the above earlier filed applications, after passing beyond the sensing station each tag is stripped from the transport wheels 5 and thereafter will be carried downwardly by means of a plurality of feed wheels 10, which move the tags downwardly along suitable guide tracks 11. The feed wheels 10 are fixed to respective shafts 12 journaled in a frame 13. At their rearward ends the shafts 12 are provided with sprockets 14 which carry a toothed belt 15. The lowermost sprocket 14 and its associated feed wheel 10 are fixed to a power shaft 16 (FIG. 2), having suitable drive connections with an electric motor for continuous operations therewith. Thus during counterclockwise oprations of power shaft 16 belt 15 will impart continuous counterclockwise operations to the feed wheels 10 for operating the tags downwardly as above-described.

To insure that each tag will be deposited fully and in a proper sequence of order within a suitable receiving magazine the following novel devices are herein provided.

Fast upon power shaft 16 are two gears 17, 18 respectively (FIGS. 3 and 4), the gear 17 having engagement in a 1:1 ratio with a gear 19 fast to shaft 20 and thegear 18 being in mesh in a 1:1 ratio with a gear 21 fast to a shaft 22. As shown in FIG. 4 the shafts 20 and 22 each extend transversely of the feed tracks 11 for the tags T, with the upper shaft 22 in addition to the usual pair of feed wheels 10' also having fast thereon a pair of spaced. pulley wheels 23 in lateral staggered relation to the feed wheels 10, 10'. In like manner the shaft 20 now also includes a pair of corresponding pulley wheels 24 (FIG. 5). Thus in the counterclockwise operations of the power shaft 16 both shaft 22 and 20 together with the respective pulleys 23, 24 thereon will be rotated in a clockwise direction. Mounted upon and extending between each related pair of said pulley wheels 23, 24 for rotation therewith is a resilient belt 25 of the type normally of circular configuration, such as the wellknown 0 ring.

Fast to the support plate 13 is a bracket 26 provided with a pair of fingers 27 each extending leftwardly and terminating in an upwardly extending projection 28 adapted for engagement with a related one of the belts 25. Fingers 27 are spaced above the bottom plate 29 of the tag receiving magazine a distance equivalent to merely providing clearance for the top edge of a tag.

From the above description it will be obvious that in counterclockwise operations of the power shaft 16 the toothed belt 15 imparts also counterclockwise operations to the plurality of feed wheels 10. At the same time said shaft, by means of gear trains 17, 19 and 18, 21, imparts clockwise operations to the shafts 20, 22 and so to the pair of belts 25. Thus upon ejection of any tag from the transport devices into the stacker devices a tag is carried downwardly by rollers 10, as in the known manner earlier described.

In the instant case, however, as each tag is released from the bite of the lowermost feed wheels 10 and cooperating wheels 10', the tag is now held by means of the fingers 27 against the belts 25, so-that the tag will continue to be advanced under power until the lower edge of the tag is brought into engagement with the tag support plate 29 of the receiving magazine. In this full Patented May a, lace,-

stroke ejection operation the upper edge of the tag is released from fingers 27 just prior to said engagement of the tag with plate 29.

As above set forth belts 25 are zoned staggered relative to feed wheels 10, are made of suitable resilient material and are of the well-known O ring type. However, said belts are of oversize construction so that when placed upon pulley wheels 23, 24' they will assume an 1 tag engaging side. Thus, particularly when under high speed operation, any advancing tag engaging feed wheels 10 will depress the upper portion of belts 25 and the lower part of said belts will bulge outwardly, as indicated at 25'. Again, the lower support shaft is to the right of the upper shaft 22 whereby the bulge 25 of the belts extends partially beneath the fingers 27.

In addition to providing a full stroke movement to the tags in the tag stacking operations the above described arrangement provides certain other advantages, as will be apparent from the following description of a tag stacking operation.

In the instant case as a tag is advanced by the lower pair of feed rollers 10,10 the tag is caused in the collapsing and restoring expansion of belt 25 by roller 10 to now retain a longer bite with said roller and to be guided by the belts 25 to pass between said belts and the ends 28 of the fingers 27. Thus said belts act to assist the tag advancement and will dispose a tag around the bulge portion 25' thereof whereby to engage the rearward face of the end tag of the stack with greater impact than heretofore effected by the usual line edge tag engagement provided merely by the rollers 10, 10 as for the earlier known devices. Such added impact serves to more firmly advance the stack pile, and also by virtue of the fact that the belts 25 extend their power operation to the tag until released from the bite provided by the fingers 27,'will act to drive the tag until stopped by engagement thereof with the bottom plate 29 of the tag magazine.

It will be observed that in the above operation pressure of the forward edge of a tag against the stack pile not only will act to advance the stack but also acts to compress the bulge portion 25', while thetag subsequently releases the previously compressed upper portion, with the resulting oscillation of the belt thereby acting to agitate the stack pile. Also, as a tag continues downwardly the tag will be forced thereby to are around the bulge portion 25' and immeditely when the upper edge of the 1 tag is released from the fingers 27 the natural tendency of the tag to straighten is now augmented by a snapping action of the belt to its normal bulge condition and into engagement with fingers 27. Thus by virtue of the above devices, as each tag is ejected for stacking it is quickly moved forwardly, permitting any succeeding tag at much greater speeds than heretofore possible to be stacked consistently in proper succession and without the frequent tag jamming of the earlier known devices.

As is customary in stacking devices of the above character a suitable weighted slide 30 for engagement with the end tag and a weighted roller 31, for engagement with the upper edge of the stacked tags, are also provided.

While the above devices are described herein in relation to tag moving along the track 11 in cooperation with the right-hand series of rollers '10 it will be obvious that if so desired a similar arrangement is of course applicable to use with the corresponding rollers appearing to the left of said track in the drawings.

4 It will be understood that various changes and modifications may be made from the foregoing without departing from the spirit and scope of the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. In an apparatus of the class described for stackingsheets seriatim in an edgewise manner; the combination comprrsmg:

a storage magazine; a pulley rotatable with. a first rotatably mounted support shaft; a pully mounted for rotation upon a second rotatably mounted support shaft; a resilient belt connecting said pulleys; a fixed'guide member engageable. for deforming said belt inwardly intermediate of said pulleys; said guide member in cooperation with said belt adapted during a feeding operation to cause the leading end of a sheet to bend angularly toward the stack pile; a protruding belt portion occasioned by said deformation thereof and extending within the magazine; and'inwhich engagement of an advancing sheet, with the stack pile urges the sheet against the said protruding belt portion to compress said portion and thereby further bias the sheet against said guide member; and wherein following subsequent release of the sheet from said guide member the trailing end thereof is thereby caused under influence of said belt portion to. be snapped rapidly toward its linear condition and away from a succeeding sheet. 2. In an apparatus of the class described for feeding sheets to a storage magazine; the; combination of a cooperating pair of feed rollers on adjacent fixed shafts for advancing a sheet; a pulley wheel mounted for rotation with a given one of said feed rollers; a second pulley wheel having a fixed shaft independently supported of said first pulley wheel; a resilient drive belt extending within said magazine and connecting saidpulley wheels; said belt inherently of circular construction but held elongated and inwardly toward ellipical shape when mounted upon said pulley wheels; and a guide member, engageable with a given side, of said belt intermediate of .said pulley wheels for further deforming said belt, said guide member being a portion of said magazine and spaced fromthe magazine sheet support surface slightly more than the widest of the stacked sheets and cooperable with said belt in advancingnthe sheet.

3. The invention according to claim 2;

said belt zoned laterally. of said feed rollers and with said guide member, jointly providingv a throat entrance to said magazine.

4. The invention according to claim 3;

and wherein a first portion of said belt normally extends within an are transcribed by said feed rollers and acts to-advance a sheet to said throat opening;

and with a a second portion of said belt being arced within the said magazine and cooperating with said guide means to deflect a sheet to a bowed condition while completing a final advance thereof.

5. The invention according to claim 2;

and wherein said first portion of said belt deforms-inwardly in effecting sheet feeding preceding the said throat opening; and in which said'second portion of said belt is thereby arced further within the said magazine in the direction of stack feed to control a continued sheet feeding operation in a pattern inwardly and downwardly of the magazine for stacking and advancing the stacked sheets therein.

6. The invention according to claim 5 and in which said belt upon a subsequent release of the trailing edge of a sheet from said guide member acts to snap said trailing edge rapidly to a linear condition within the magazine, so that a succeeding sheet will feed to the rearward thereof.

7. In an apparatus of the class described for feeding and stacking record media seriatim in edgewise manner; the combination of a storage magazine for receiving said record media;

a cooperating pair of opposed feed rollers fast upon adjacent stationary mounted shafts for advancing said record media; I

a pulley wheel fast for rotation with a given one of said feed rollers;

a second pulley wheel fast on a stationary shaft independently mounted of said first pulley wheel shaft;

positive drive means interconnecting said shafts; and

a resilient drive belt in lateral staggered relation to the said cooperating pair of feed rollers and connecting said pulley wheels, said belt assuming yieldable elliptical contour in the operations thereof for normally extending within the peripheries of said cooperating feed rollers and yieldably engageable with the record media for augmenting an advancement thereof coincident with the operation thereof by said cooperating pair of feed rollers, whereby to assure a full stroke stacking operation of said record media within the said storage magazine.

8. In an apparatus of the class described for feeding and stacking sheets seriatim in edgewise manner; the combination comprising:

a storage magazine including a sheet guide member defining one side of said magazine spaced from an opposed side a distance substantially equivalent to one face dimension of asheet;

said guide member forming one side of a fixed throat entrance to said magazine;

sheet feeding means external of said magazine for advancing a sheet to said guide member, including a pair of feed rollers mounted on adjacent shafts having fixed supports;

a pair of pulley wheels one driven by a given one of said shafts and the other rotatable with yet another driven shaft having fixed supports; and

auxiliary feed means including a belt loosely spanning said pulley wheels informing an opposite side of said throat and extending within the said magazine, said feed belt cooperable with said guide member for completing a full sheet advancing operation under power for stacking within the said magazine.

9. In an appartus of the class described for feeding sheets seriatim in edgewise manner; the combination comprising:

a sheet storage magazine one side including a guide member defining one side of a throat entry to said magazine and spaced relative to another side of said magazine substantially equivalent to one face dimension of a sheet;

a pair of feed rollers fast on separate stationary supported shafts;

power feeding means interconnecting said shafts for advancing a sheet for engagement with said guide member;

a pair of pulley wheels on stationary mounted shafts each having positive drive connection with said power feeding means;

auxiliary feed means for completing an advancement of said sheet including a resilient feed belt loosely spanning said pulley wheels for operation therewith, said feed belt forming an opposite side of said throat and extending forward thereof toward the stack pile; and in which said feed belt in cooperation with said means for stacking sheets seriatim in edgewise manner;

the combination comprising:

a storage receptacle;

sheet feeding means;

a pair of pulley wheels rotatable with said feeding means;

a resilient belt operable with said wheels in lateral staggered relation of said feed means;

said belt freely urged of circular configuration as loosely mounted on said pulley wheels and restrained to elliptical condition while subtending an arc of a cooperating feed member of said sheet feeding means; and wherein said belt is first collapsed by an advancing sheet and thereafter is expanded in completing the advancement thereof, so that the feed bite engagement of a sheet with said feed member is thereby prolonged coincident with said arc thereof; and in which said expansion of the belt serves also to snap the trailing end of a sheet in the direction of stack pile free of a subsequent advancing sheet.

11. In an apparatus of the class described including means for stacking sheets seriatim in edgewise man- 7 ner; the combination comprising:

a storage magazine for receiving sheets;

sheet feeding means including a cooperating pair of opposed feed rollers fast respectively upon adjacent stationary mounted shafts;

a pair of pulley wheels one fast upon a third stationary mounted shaft and the other driven by a given one of said feed roller shafts;

a resilient belt loosely spanning said pulley wheels for operation therewith and being staggered laterally of said feed rollers;

a bowed portion of said belt normally passing within the periphery of the feed roller on the shaft adjacent thereto;

a bowed portion of said belt protruding Within said magazine in the direction of stack advance; and wherein an advancing sheet engaging said roller and said belt compresses the first said bowed portion thereof thereby expanding the second said bowed portion of said belt farther within the magazine for urging an advance of the stack pile and to also energize the trialing end of any leading sheet so as to snap away from a following sheet toward the stack pile.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 10/ 1922 Bombard 27187 1,991,028 2/ 1935 Olson 271-87 3,131,932 5/ 1964 Maidment- 27187 '3,139,27 8 6/ 1964 Maidment 271--71 3,188,082 6/1965 Stobb 271--87 X FOREIGN PATENTS 766,133 2/ 1935 France.

M. HENSON WOOD, JR., Primary Examiner.

ROBERT B. REEVES, Examiner.

S. ALPERT, A. N. KNOWLES, Assistant Examiners. 

1. IN AN APPARATUS OF THE CLASS DESCRIBED FOR STACKING SHEETS SERIATIM IN AN EDGEWISE MANNER; THE COMBINATION COMPRISING: A STORAGE MAGAZINE; A PULLEY ROTATABLE WITH A FIRST ROTATABLY MOUNTED SUPPORT SHAFT; A PULLY MOUNTED FOR ROTATION UPON A SECOND ROTATABLY MOUNTED SUPPORT SHAFT; A RESILIENT BELT CONNECTING SAID PULLEYS; A FIXED GUIDE MEMBER ENGAGEABLE FOR DEFORMING SAID BELT INWARDLY INTERMEDIATE OF SAID PULLEYS; SAID GUIDE MEMBER IN COOPERATION WITH SAID BELT ADAPTED DURING A FEEDING OPERATION TO CAUSE THE LEADING END OF A SHEET TO BEND ANGULARLY TOWARD THE STACK PILE; A PROTRUDING BELT PORTION OCCASIONED BY SAID DEFORMATION THEREOF AND EXTENDING WITHIN THE MAGAZINE; AND IN WHICH ENGAGEMENT OF AN ADVANCING SHEET WITH THE STACK PILE URGES THE SHEET AGAINST THE SAID PROTRUDING BELT PORTION TO COMPRESS SAID PORTION AND THEREBY FURTHER BIAS THE SHEET AGAINST SAID GUIDE MEMBER; AND WHEREIN FOLLOWING SUBSEQUENT RELEASE OF THE SHEET FROM SAID GUIDE MEMBER THE TRAILING END THEREOF IS THEREBY CAUSED UNDER INFLUENCE OF SAID BELT PORTION TO BE SNAPPED RAPIDLY TOWARD ITS LINEAR CONDITION AND AWAY FROM A SUCCEEDING SHEET. 